What exactly is a Carillon?

CARILLONS have been ringing out from church bell towers and civic buildings since the 14th century.

They sound different than chimes; the key distinction between the two instruments is the number of bells.

Edmonton

The FRIENDSHIP TOWER is unique in Western Canada. Crowning the top of its 61.4 metre (200 foot) structure is a 23 bell carillon (the least amount of bells you can have for the musical instrument), all of them were cast in the Netherlands by Petit & Fritzen.

117 cm (3.5 feet) diameter

The largest bell weighs over 900 kilograms and is tuned to the pitch of C; the smallest is 22 kg and approximately one foot in diameter.

The carillon at city hall has a range of two octaves from C3 to C5. While it is possible to play it with an electronic midi-keyboard, typically, the melodies are computer-programmed to strike the bronze bells on the hour.

A chime consists of fewer than 23 bells. There are several throughout the city.

Looking out over the river valley atop Edmonton’s neighbourhood of Strathearn, the McGivney Bell Tower chime on the campus of Neumann Theological College has 5 cast bronze bells.

The Alberta Legislature also sounds bells, but they are completely electronic and broadcast by a loudspeaker. In Ottawa, the largest carillon in the country with 53 bells is in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill.

HARMONY OF THE SQUARE : reshaping urban racket

The rattle and roar — the hum of Edmonton's downtown core — is relentless as the winter; it's a fact of life in our city. So if you can't fix it, why not feature it?

Carillon bells have shaped the sound of communities all over the world.

Using 3D acoustic modeling software, HARMONY OF THE SQUARE illustrates how bell sounds can be added into our urban mix — to play upon constructed space — harmonizing with the persistent racket in and around Churchill Square.

And as the pitch of sound in the downtown ebbs and flows throughout the day and season, the carillon bells atop the Friendship Tower overlooking the Square performs in a duet — noise becomes its necessary partner — to create an ongoing song of the city.

Listen with headphones or a good pair of earbuds to hear the 3D effect.

Kindly comment where and when you hear the most appealing bell sounds (couldn't help the pun!). I'm especially interested in your personal experience of unusual sounds projected by the carillon throughout the Square.

Return to this site often. More sound content will be frequently added.